Mad Men: "For Those Who Think Young" Review

Sterling Cooper is back in business.

Advance Review: One of last year's most (rightfully) acclaimed series is back, as Mad Men returns for a second season this weekend. When last we left off, a lot had occurred – Roger's heart attack, the revelations about Don's true past, and of course the arrival of a very, very unexpected baby.

Season 2 begins several months after Season 1 ended – more months than it seems at first. Time has moved on for the staff at Sterling Cooper, and there's definitely a learning curve for the audience catching up with everyone and learning how the office dynamic has changed or not changed. And fans will have to learn to be a bit patient, because some of the most pressing questions they'll have from the end of Season 1 are not immediately answered, nor in some cases addressed by the end of this first hour.

While trying to keep secrets, I will say this – New hire Duck, brought in at the end of Season 1, has found his footing at Sterling Cooper, though everyone isn't a fan. Joan has to figure out what to do with a major new piece of equipment the company has purchased, one which we're all now familiar with and clearly has major benefits. How Joan decides to deal with her dilemma is a very funny part of the episode. Pete in the meantime is still trying to live up to a certain ideal he believes he must with both his family and career. And Betty? Well, she's riding horses and blissfully happy… Okay, only one of those statements is true.

As for Peggy, having risen from the rank of the secretaries, she is now entrenched in with the Mad Men, and some of the best little moments in the premiere show how these men are as crass and sexist as ever in her presence, not censoring themselves around her in the least. So is that progress or not?

The premiere of the show is a bit of a slow burn – no doubt some might feel anxious not getting answers they desperately seek on the heels of Season 1. But by moving the action forward in time, creator Matt Weiner is clearly showing that he wants to follow these people through different moments of their lives, and I have little doubt he will not ignore the plot points he so expertly set up last year.

The cast is as wonderful as ever – Seeing Don, Peggy, Betty, Pete and everyone else is a reminder of just how excellent these actors are and how fully the embody these people, seemingly stepping right out of the era we're watching, rather than actors simply pretending. Jon Hamm is as complicated and guarded as ever as Don, and Elizabeth Moss continues to shine as Peggy, who speaks up when she feels it's necessary and stands back and observes when it makes the most sense to her to do so.

Mad Men is a nuanced and engrossing show – Matthew Weiner has created a fully formed world here that is visually dynamic, thoughtful and intriguing, even while it shows the negatives of these ad execs and the lives they lead.